Water valve actuator for steam iron



Dec. 1l, 1956 J. R. GoMERsALL 2,773,322

WATER VALVE AcTUAToR FOR STEAM IRON Filed may 25, 1953 A me/@a UnitedStates Patent WATER VALVE ACTUATOR FOR STEAM IRON John R. Gomersall,Elgin, Ill., assignor to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, Ill., acorporation of Delaware Application May 25, 1953, Seal No. 357,138

7 Claims. (Cl. 38-77) The present invention relates to steamingflatirons and more particularly to manual actuator mechanisms for thewater-feed control valves of flash-boiler type steam irons.

The Hash-boiler iron feeds cool water to a substantially empty, heatedsteam-generating chamber, the surfaces of which may be hotter than theboiling point of Water and where the water is heated and evaporated in afew seconds. In such an iron steaming can be stopped and started quicklysimply by controlling the water-feed, and the iron may be used withoutsteam whether its reservoir contains water or not.

Objects of the present invention include the provision of a new andimproved manual valve actuator for a steam iron, the provision of acombined fill-tube and valve actuator of simple construction, and theprovision of an improved construction for a flash type steam atiron.

These and further objects and advantages ofthe present invention will beapparent from the following specification when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective View of a steam iron embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the front end of the irontaken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l 'and illustrating my improved watervalve actuator;

Fig. 3 is a substantially horizontal sectional view taken along the line3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a substantially horizontal sectional view taken along the line4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a portion of Fig. 2 showing the valve inclosed position.

Referring now in greater particularity to the figures, and first toFigs. l and 2, there will be seen a flash boiler type steam iron 10,having a handle 12 of molded plastic or other suitable heat insulatingconstruction, la casing 14 and a sole plate 18. A suitable thermostathas an adjusting member 16 mounted on the casing 14 immediately in frontof the rear leg of the handle 12.

The sole plate 18 includes a portion 22 which rises within casing 14 andcontains a suitable electric heating element, a boiler orsteam-generating chamber 24, and suitably baffled steam ducts (notshown) extending from the steam chamber to the bottom face of the soleplate.

The steam generating chamber`24 is closed at the top by a thin, flatplate 26. A water storage tank or reservoir 3i) is housed within thecasing 14 above the steam generating chamber 24 and is supported at itsopposite ends by brackets 32 (only the frontione being shown) mountedatop the plate 26. The tank or reservoir 30 is provided with an openingnear the front and at the loop thereof aligned with a cylindricalopening in the front post of the handle 12. A cylindrical sleeve, lineror fill tube 34 is brazed or otherwise sealed into the tank opening. Theupper end of tube 34 extends up through the opening in the handle fromnear the top of the handle. The lower end of fill tube 34 terminatesslightly above the bottom of tank 30 and loosely surrounds a valve body36. Just below the top of tank 30, and above the valve body 36, tube 34has an opening 38 in its forward wall for providing communicationbetween the interior of the tube and the interior of tank 30. Opening 38thus constitutes both an entrance for Water when the tank is beingfilled, and also a vent to atmosphere. The upper end of tube 34 leansforward for keeping its opening high when the iron is 11p-ended and seton its heel, as when idle.

The bottom of the tank 30 is generally at and level, that is, parallelto the lower face of the sole plate. The flat bottom has a tipped-upportion 40 which receives an extending, threaded neck 42 of the vValvebody 36. The valve body 36 is provided with a central bore 44 which isintersected by a pair of right angularly disposed diametral bores 46.The bottom end of the central bore 44 communicates with a meteringorifice 48 of a predetermined size to allow water to pass from the tank30 at a controlled rate necessary for proper steam generation.

A reservoir coupling 50 is threaded on the neck 44 to hold the reservoircoupling and metering valve in position. The reservoir coupling isprovided with a generally horizontal discharge opening in which isreceived the intake end of a water tube 54 which extends rearward fromthe coupling 50 in a horizontal position. A ball 56 is housed within thereservoir coupling and is free to roll against a valve seat formed by acircumferential restriction 58 in the water tube 54 adjacent the frontend thereof when the iron is up-ended to idle position so as tointerrupt the water flow and steam generation.

The tube 54 is closed at its rear end and is provided with an opening 69spaced forwardly of the rear end and adjacent a circumferentialrestriction 62. A steam chamber connector 64 in the shape of a T-shapedfitting encircles the water tube 54, with its stem 66 extending throughthe steam chamber cover 26. The stem 66 is provided with a bore 68aligned with the tube opening 60 for connecting tube 54 with the steamgenerating chamber.

When the iron is horizontal, as when working, and water flowing, a smallamount of water will be held by constriction 62. Then when the iron istilted up 'this water pours into the rear part of the tube. By retardingthis pouring action constriction 62 lets less of this Water pour out atlow tilt-angles and thereby enables more of the water to reach the deadend or pocket `at the rear of tube 54 rather than the steam chamber. Asthe iron is returned to its horizontal position this water is pouredinto hole 6i) to cause steam to be generated immediately. Theconstriction 62 opposes return of this water to the forward part of thetube and helps direct it into the steam chamber. With the ironhorizontal the water again flows from the tank 3i? and lls up thesection between constrictions 5S and 62 and feeds the water to the steamchamber.

The manual water control mechanism includes an elongated valve stem 78mounted axial in the fill tube 34 and projecting into the axial bore 44of the valve body 36. The valve stem '78 is provided at its lower endwith a central bore in which is mounted a valve pin 80, the side of thevalve stem being flattened or crimped as at 84 to clamp the pin in thevalve stem. The lower end of the valve stem is chamfered as at 83 forengagement with a conical valve seat 35 formed about the orifice 4S.

Valve stem 78 is supported and actuated by an actuator or transversepusher member S6 which extends into the lill tube 34 through alongitudinal slot 318 and encircles the valve stem near the upper endthereof.

The reduced upper end of the valve stem 7S (Fig. 5 is retained onactuator 86 by a nut 92. A spring 94 urges the valve stem down, butpermits the actuator S6 to be lowered beyond the point at which stem 78seats in Valve seat 85. Actuator 86 is carried by a reciprocable tube106 to which it has a rigid fastening and which slides in a tube 100supported on lill tube 34 by a bracket 104.

A coil spring 108 is trapped within the tubes 100 and 106 and urges theactuator 86 to retain the valve stem 78 and pin 8) in retractedposition.

A control button 110 of molded plastic or other suitable material andhaving a serrated upper edge 112 for ready engagement by the thumb ismounted in an opening in the handle 12 and has the lower end thereofabutting the actuator 86 for forcing it down. The control button 110 andhandle 12 are provided with cooperating shoulders 114 and 116 limitingupward movement of the button 110 and hence of the actuator 86 and valvestem 78. A nub 118 on the side of button 110 constitutes a bearing andinsures tip-free reciprocation of the button under the impetus of anoperators thumb.

Pressing down on the button 110 with the thumb forces the actuator 86down (as shown fragmentarily in Fig. This acts through the spring 94 andwasher 98 to depress the valve stem 78 to shift the pin 80 into theorifice 48 and to seat the beveled surface 83 against the frusto-conicalvalve seat 85. This action manually closes oi the orifice 48 to stop theflow of water from the tank 30. The valve stem 78 can be locked in thisdepressed position by tilting back the button 110 to engage a shoulder120 thereon beneath the shoulder 116. The control is readily released bypushing it forward with the thumb.

In assembling the iron, couplings 50 and 64 and the tube 54 may bemounted on the sole plate. Tank 30 may then be put in place and valvebody 36 inserted through ll tube 34 and tightened with a screw driver. Asub-assembly including valve stem 78, actuator 86 and spring 108 may beinserted and then the handle 12 with button 110 may be set in place.into the upper end of ll tube 34 trims the fill opening and may alsoserve as part of the fastening for handle 12.

The normal reciprocation of valve stem 78 in opening and closing thevalve moves pin 80 through the metering orifice 48 for clearing it oflime deposits and other obstructions.

It will be noted that the upper portion of the arm of the actuator 86 isarcuate in configuration for proper contact with the button 110 at alltimes as the button is rocked back and forth.

The spring 94 interposed between the control handle or push button 110and the valve stem 78 allows perfect seating of the beveled valve stemsurface 83 against the Valve seat 85 without requiring fine tolerancesor adjustment of the various actuating parts.

The present construction aligns the valve 36 with the till tube 34 andputs the valve stem 78 in the ll tube, while keeping the bulky parts ofthe actuator mechanism outside the ll tube for thereby achieving asimple, effective and reliable valve actuator with a minimum obstructionof the ll tube. The angular positioning of the fill tube with the upperend thereof tilted forward increases the water-holding capacity of thetank when the iron is up-ended to idle position, and the rearward olsetof the actuating mechanism puts the control button 110 in convenientposition for thumb manipulation in spite of the extreme forward locationof the ll tube.

The specic example of my invention herein shown and described will beunderstood as being illustrative only. Various structural changes andmodifications are possible and form a part of my invention insofar asthey fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a water-valve control mechanism for a steam iron including a soleplate, a steam-generating chamber, Water supply means, meansinterconnecting said Water supply means and said steam-generatingchamber including a valve for controlling the iiow of water from saidsupply means to said steam generating chamber,

said valve including a reciprocable valve stem and a Bushing 89 threadedseat therefor, in combination, an actuator for said valve stem, meansfor supporting and guiding said actuator for movement longitudinal ofsaid stem, a connection between said actuator and said valve stemincluding a spring for urging said stem against said seat and forpermitting motion of said actuator when said stem is seated andincluding also an abutment by which said actuator pulls said valve stemoff said seat, and a second spring operatively connected to saidactuator for moving said actuator in the direction that carries saidvalve stem ott' said seat.

2. A steam iron comprising `a sole plate and a casing, a steamgenerating chamber in said casing, a water storage tank in said casing,a handle on said casing, a lill tube extending through said handle intosaid tank and having a longitudinal slot adjacent the upper end thereof,said ll tube opening substantially axially upwardly said fill tube beingangularly arranged with the upper end thereof positioned forward of thelower end to reduce back flow of water from said storage tank when saidiron is up-ended to idle position, mean-s for passing water from saidwater storage tank to said steam generating chamber and including anorifice having a valve Iseat formed about it, said orifice being coaxialwith said fill tube, a valve stem mounted coaxial in said ll tube andhaving a lower end cooperable with said valve seat to stop water flowfrom said tank-to said steam generating chamber, a needle extending fromthe end of said valve stem and adapted to project through said orificewhen said stem is moved to seated position to clean said orifice, anactuating member slidable on the upper end of said valve stem and havingan arm extending lateral through the slot in said fill tube, springmeans on said valve stem and bearing up against said actuat-ing memberand down against said stem to urge the valve stem down, a stop on saidvalve stem limiting its downward movement relative to said actuatingmember, spring means acting between said fill tube and actuating memberto urge said actuating member and valve stem up, a push button mountedin said handle behind said fill tube for ready engagement by anoperators thumb and engaging the top of said arm of said actuatingmember for depressing it, and cooperating shoulder means on said pushbutton and said handle for locking said push button and said valve stemin lowered, valve closing position, said push button being reciprocablyand tippably mounted for bringing said shoulders into engagement.

3. In a water valve control mechanism for a steam iron including a soleplate, a steam-generating chamber, a water reservoir having a fillopening at its top forward part, and means connecting said reservoir andsaid steamgenerating chamber including 'a valve for controlling the flowof water from said reservoir to said steam-generating chamber, incombination, a forwardly extending fill tube extending through saidopening and into said reservoir in alignment with said valve and openingupwardly and forwardly for filling, a valve stem reciprocable in saidtill tube and connected to a part engageable with said valve forcontrolling the opening of said valve, said ll tube having an openingthrough the upper part of the rear wall thereof, a manually movableactuator for said valve stem exten-ding through said opening in saidfill tube, means interconnecting said actuator and said valve stem, atubular guide member rigidly supported on said lill tube and paralleltherewith, a tube reciprocable therein and supporting and guiding saidactuator, and a compression spring in lsaid tube and tubular guidemember urging said tube upwardly.

4. In a water valve control mechanism for a steam iron including a soleplate, a steam-generating chamber, a water reservoir having a fillopening at its top forward part, and means connecting said reservoir andsaid steamgenerating chamber including a valve for controlling the iiowof water from said reservoir to said steam-generating chamber, incombination, an upwardly extending fill tube extending through saidopening into said reservoir in alignment with said valve and openingupwardly and forwardly for lling, a valve stem reciprocable in said lltube and connected to a part engageable with said valve for controllingthe opening of said Valve, said ll tube having an opening through theupper part of the wall thereof, an actuator extending transversely fromsaid valve stem through said opening and connected to said valve stem ata fixed angle relative thereto, and manually engageable meansoperatively connected with said actuator outside of said ill tubelaterally thereof for moving said actuator and said valve stem axiallyof said valve stem.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 4 wherein the manually operablemeans comprises a push button pressing on said member.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 4 and further including aspring biased connection between said actuator and said valve stemwhereby said actuator is capable 6 of movement without positively movingsaid valve stem. 7. The combination as set forth in claim 4 and furtherincluding guide means mounted on the outside of said tube and supportingand guiding said actuator outside of said tube.

References Cited inthe le ot' this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,766,602 Clark June 24, 1930 1,911,213 Tavender May 30, 1933 2,279,796Norton et al. Apr. 14, 1942 2,432,205 Morton Dec. 9, 1947 2,557,732Finlayson June 19, 1951 2,710,469 Vance et al .Tune 14, 1955 2,719,371Brace Oct. 4, 1955

